the prince of Anhalt, protested against this decree. Fourteen cities, viz. Strasburg, Nuremburg, Ulm, Constance, Retlingen, Windsheim, Memmingen, Lindau, Kemplen, Hailbron, Isny, Weisenburg, Nortlingen, and St. Gal, joined in this protestation, which was put in writing, and published the 19th of April 1529, by an instrument in which they appealed from all that should be done, to the emperor, a future council, either general or national, or to unsuspected judges; and accordingly, they appointed deputies to send to the emperor, to petition that this decree might be revoked. This was the famous protestation, which gave the name of protestants to the reformers in Germany.

After this, the protestant princes laboured to make a firm league among themselves, and with the free cities, that they might be able to defend each other against the emperor, and the catholic princes. The deputies of the princes and cities being met at Swabach, the affair was there proposed; but the deputies of the elector of Saxony alleging, that, since this league was made for the security of the true christian doctrine, they ought all unanimously to agree about this doctrine; they ordered, therefore, that a summary of their doctrine, contained in several heads, should be read, that it might be received, and approved unanimously by the whole assembly. The deputies of the protestants at the diet of Spires, soon after, September 12, waited upon the emperor at Placentia, where he stayed a little, in returning from his coronation at Bononia, and assured him, that "their masters had opposed the decree of that diet for no ther reason, but because they foresaw it would occasion many troubles." The emperor promised them an answer, when he had communicated it to his council; and, October 13, sent them word, in writing, that " the decree of the diet seemed to prevent all innovations, and preserve the peace of the empire; that the elector of Saxony, and his allies,

ought to approve of it; that he desired a council as much as they, though that would not have been necessary, if the edict of Worms had been duly executed; that what had been once enacted by the major part of the members of the diet, could not be disannulled by the opposition of some of them; that he had written to the elector of Saxony, and others, to receive and execute the decree of the diet; and hoped they would the sooner submit to his order, because an union and peace were necessary at this time, when the Turks was in Germany."

The deputies having received this answer, drew up an act of appeal, and caused it to be presented to the emperor; which enraged him so extremely, that he confined them to their lodgings, and forbade them to write into Germany, upon pain of death. However, an account of these proceedings was conveyed to the allied German princes, who met at Smalkald, where they agreed upon a confession of faith, which was prepared, and afterwards offered at the diet of Augsburg, which was called in June, 1530. The protestants, afterwards, presented an apology or their confession; but the emperor would not receive it; however, they were both made public. This confession of faith, which was afterwards called "The Confession of Augsburg," was drawn up by Melancthon, the most moderate of all Luther's followers, as was also the apology.

Luther had now nothing else to do, but to sit down and contemplate the mighty work he had finished; for, that a single monk should be able to give the church of Rome so rude a check, that there needed but such another entirely to overthrow it, may very well seem a mighty work. He did, indeed, little else; for the remaider of his life was spent in exhorting princes, states, and universities, to confirm the reformation, which had been brought about through him. The emperor threatened temporal punishments with armies, and the pope eternal with

bulls and anathemas; but Luther cared for none of their threats.

In 1546, February 18, in the sixty-third year of his age, he died, on the estate of the earls of Mansfelt. The elector of Saxony desired that his body should be brought back to Wittemburg, where he was buried with the greatest pomp that, perhaps, ever happened to any private man. A thousand lies were invented by his enemies about his death.

His works were collected after his death, and printed at Wittemburg, in seven volumes folio.

LYTTLETON, (LORD GEORGE) an elegant English historian, poet and miscellaneous writer was born in the year 1709, at seven months, and the midwife, supposing him to be dead, threw him carelessly into the cradle, where had not some signs of life been taken notice of by one of the attendants, he might never have recovered. He received the elementary part of his education at Eton school, where he soon evinced a taste for poetry. His pastorals and some others of his light pieces were originally written in that seminary, from whence he was removed to the university of Oxford. Here he pursued his classical studies with uncommon assiduity, and sketched the plan of his "Persian Letters," a work, which afterwards procured him great reputation, not only from the elegance of the language, in which they were composed, but also from the excellent observations they contained on the manners of mankind.

In the year 1728, he set out on the tour of Europe, and on his arrival at Paris, became acquainted with Mr. Poyntz, the British minister then at the court of Versailles, who was so struck with the extraordinary capacity of our young traveller, that he employed VOL. III. No. 20. Hh

him in many political negociations, all of which he executed with great judgment and fidelity.

Mr. Lyttleton's conduct, whilst on his travels, was a lesson of instruction to all young gentlemen engaged on the same business. Instead of lounging away his hours at the coffee houses, frequented by his countrymen, and adopting the fashionable follies and vices of France and Italy, his time was passed alternately in his library, and in the society of men of taste and literature. In this early part of his life, he wrote a poetical letter to Dr. Ayscough, and another to Mr. Pope, which shew singular taste and correct

ness.

After continuing a considerable time at Paris with Mr. Poyntz, he proceeded to Turin, where he was received with great marks of attention by his Sardinian majesty. He then visited Venice, Milan, Genoa, and Rome, where he applied himself closely to the study of the fine arts, and was, even in that celebrated metropolis, allowed to be a perfect judge of painting, sculpture and architecture.

He soon after returned to his native country, and was elected representative for the borough of Okehampton in Devonshire, in which station, he behaved so much to the satisfaction of his constituents, that they, several times, re-elected him for the same place.

About this period, he received great marks of friendship from Frederic prince of Wales, father of his present majesty; and was, in the year 1737 appointed principal secretary to his royal highness, and continued in the strictest intimacy with him till the time of his death. His attention to public business did not, however, prevent him from exercising his poetical talent; and there are many of his effusions of this kind, written, whilst he was in this employment, to be found in his works, which reflect the highest honor, on his taste, judgment and erudition.

In the year 1742, he married a young lady of the name of Fortescue, whose exemplary conduct and uniform practice of religion and virtue established his conjugal happiness upon the most solid basis.

In 1744, he was appointed one of the lords commissioners of the treasury; and during his continuance in that station, constantly exerted his influence in rewarding merit and ability. He was the friend and patron of the late Henry Fielding, James Thomson, author of the Seasons, Mr. Mallet, Dr. Young, Mr. Pope, &c. On the death of Mr. Thomson, who left his affairs in a very embarrassed condition, Mr. Lyttleton took that poet's sister under his protection. He revised the tragedy of Coriolanus, which that writer had not completely finished, and brought it out at Covent Garden, with a prologue of his own writing, in which he so affectingly lamented the loss of that delightful bard, that not only Mr. Quin, who spoke the lines, but almost the whole audience burst into tears.

Mr. Lyttleton had, in the pride of juvenile confidence, with the help of corrupt conversation, entertained doubts of the truth of Christianity; but, he thought the time was now come, when it was no longer fit to doubt, or believe by chance, and applied him seriously to the great question. His studies being honest, ended in conviction. He found, that the christian religion was true; and what he had learned, he endeavoured to teach others, in 1747, by an excellent publication, entitled "Observations on the Conversion and Apostleship of St. Paul."This valuable treatise was written at the desire of Mr. Gilbert West, in consequence of Mr. Lyttleton's asserting, that, beside all the proofs of the christian religion, which might be drawn from the prophecies of the Old Testament, from the necessary connection it has with the whole system of the Jewish religion, from the miracles of Christ, and from the evidence given of his resurrection by all the other apos